Razor61

Work done today. Replaced ECT sensor - temp sensor for fuel injection system - a doddle and took 30 mins max. I did notice that the rubber gasket - intake to throttle body assy - was not installed correctly - it was a bit mangled - it's all good now though. I suspect some air was being drawn in before. The stuff below took some time, disconnecting battery between removing and installing used stuff. Removed existing SatNav assy - fitted used undamaged assy - worked fine so I have a spare Fitted damaged in transit used SatNav assy - worked ok apart from the drivers temp lcd which was damaged in transit. Removed existing instrument cluster - fitted used cluster - tested and its ok apart from the transmission 'D' bulb not working so I have a spare. re fitted existing instrument cluster. Adjusted drivers door using the Toyota/Lexus 'special' tool - door is now aligned - it had dropped a bit - it needs 2 people really to adjust it but managed it with a trolley jack. Took pictures of the spare parts I've accumulated and will post a list if anyone needs anything. Jobs for tomorrow..........wash the car and nothing else😉

Reg is worth a lot of money, it’s the reg for sale more than the car. The car is literally 5 Mins away from me so will have a look if possible, VSC warning on though………..seen that before somewhere🤔

This car is not on eBay but it’s near as damn it and an absolute bargain🤣 https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/lexus-ls-saloon-2000-other-3969-cc-4-doors/1425742941

Hi Phil, How's things and how is your nice LS400? Good shout and I did think about the wheels and tyres but they are genuine DHP wheels that were fitted on DHP cars. My car isn't a DHP car though and the tyres are not the exact size but the circumference is very very close. The only way to rule it out is to put a set of 16 inch wheels on, I do have a set of scruffy MK3 alloys. I might inflate them and see if they have any punctures, if they don't then fit them and take the car for a run. I could get it on the diag machine at Lexus for £120 but that has been done at Lexus Newcastle, they said the fault was 'open circuit Yaw sensor' or something to that effect. The fact that it can be ok leads me to believe it's a connection issue rather than the Yaw sensor faulty. I'll check the connections to the VSC ECU first I think, you never know...........disconnecting, bit of a clean and connecting again may do the trick or I might find something amiss.

I would guess it's either the parking brake cables/shoes/mechanism etc actually stuck/seized a bit in some way and not allowing the parking brake pedal to fully return or the parking brake cables/shoes/mechanism are fine and it's the parking brake pedal return spring or damper which is the issue. On my 95 I had the same issue with the parking brake light not going off even though the parking brake itself was fully released, if I put my foot under the pedal and lifted it up the light went off. I replaced the damper which didn't cure it, in the end it just needed the damper adjusting. I personally always use the parking brake to keep all the bits moving but more importantly just using the car in Park without applying the Parking Brake will put strain on the 'Parking Pawl' or pin, my Dad told me about this a few years ago and the link below explains it. I was told the correct procedure when stopping and parking the car should be - put car in neutral - apply parking brake - release the brake pedal - car should not move - put gearbox in park. The strain is then taken on the parking brake and not the 'Parking Pawl' or pin. Of course the parking brake needs to be working well and hold the car. If the strain is on the 'Parking Pawl' or pin you can feel hear a dull thud/clunk when taking the car out of park which is cause by the strain on it being released. If the car is parked on a perfectly flat surface all the time then it's not much of an issue but that isn't possible and it doesn't take much of an incline to put pressure on the 'Parking Pawl' or pin given how heavy an LS400 is. Parking pawl - Wikipedia

VSC Off issue is still present, thought I had a method to stop it happening but it still happens. This morning I started the car and held my foot on the brake for a while until the VSC Off light went off and kept it on for a while - it takes a few seconds to go off, put it in gear to set off and 'ping' the VSC Off light came on. Sometimes if I switch off and restart again it goes off and stays off, sometimes it stays off and then comes back on after driving a short distance. So the VSC Off light stayed on while driving to work today, when I had gone 7 or 8 miles and the car was warmed up I stopped - switched off and restarted without holding my foot on the brake for a while. Basically started and set off as you normally do. The VSC Off light went off pretty quick, quicker than first thing in the morning I think, and then stayed off the rest of the way to work. From what I have read there are a lot of things that can cause the VSC to disable or go off, anything that could affect the vehicle stability, engine sensor issues, abs sensor issues, yaw sensor (expensive for a new one @ £455) and also door sensor issues as well apparently. Maybe it's temp related in some way..... The ABS/VSC/TRC ECU is in the cabin so maybe its related to this so will check the connectors to it. I think it's behind the passenger glove boxes so will have a look. Maybe replacing the ECU with a used one will fix it but not sure if it needs coding to the car in some way. The yaw sensor is in the boot and it stays cold in there so probably not that, as far as heat is concerned. Engine obviously warms up so maybe a sensor somewhere, maybe the Temp sensor for the EFI............. can't see how but I wouldn't be surprised. That will be replaced soon anyway, picking it up today from Lexus Bolton. This is 'educated' guesswork of course, I'll get to the bottom of it hopefully. If anyone has any ideas about this though I'd be grateful for any advise or thoughts.

Got the antenna and it looks genuine to me, still waiting for the pad wear sensors. They were all ordered from Amayama but delivered from UAE not ordered direct from another company in the UAE so I think they should be ok. The counterfeit parts seemed to be pads and filters.

No there isn’t, must be an optical illusion caused by the garage😉

Wheels for the Bismark maybe? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1090427688192377/

Yep, Japanese Cypress ordered from Amayama🙃

Ha ha, it’s waiting for my son in-law to sort (that’s part of what he does), new facia all round to neaten it all up. Have a guess when this was arranged…………………..well over 12 months ago and probably 18 months or longer!! No surprise that I’m being nagged about it, even being mentioned on this forum now🤣……….I’m going to have to do it myself later in the year. Another lesson learned……….don’t bother asking family to do jobs, it will never get done no matter how much you hint and threaten🙄 Of course if it’s the other way round………..

By the way, I’ve been to JS45 with my Dad and talked to John and John Jnr, good guys and they know their stuff. Not Lexus specialist’s but you can ‘talk’ to them and they won’t give you any bull.

No Lexus specialists on Holy Island that’s for sure………I lived in Berwick from 14 years old till 21. But my Dad still lives in Berwick and he uses a garage called JS45 in Berwick for his Merc if that’s any help. They will do a good job. https://js45.co.uk/

Thanks, lots of labour and a sprinkling of skill and experience I think😁 I like your car by the way👍, assuming you still have the one in your profile picture.

Today's work completed. Fitted a set of rear lights I bought off Facebook, really good condition. Mine had some cracks in them. Adjusted the boot lid so the panel gaps are good, this really bugged me every time I looked at the rear end because on the passenger side it looked like the boot lid was too high because the gap was too big. All good now though with pic below. It may look like on one side (passenger) the gap is narrower now but it isn’t, I checked the gaps and they are spot on. Put all the boot trim back in replacing any dodgy/broken fasteners, nice to have it all back in. Replaced some missing rubber grommets under the hood at the front and did some cleaning. if it wasn’t raining I would have replaced the front lower ball joints, front drop links and anti roll bar bushes. Maybe tomorrow for that if the weather is ok. New antenna has arrived so will fit that tomorrow, two man job though. I have also bought some other bits from the same guy that I bought the lights off, instrument cluster, drivers air bag, slip ring, indicator stalks and any other bits he has laying around which will arrive next week. I was only after the cluster as a spare so will put the other bits with a growing pile of parts I now have. Once I’ve done everything I’ll make a list of all the bits and post it in case anyone needs something from it all.

Another job done on the car, used drivers door mirror purchased locally. Took the glass out which looks good and replaced the ‘stuck on’ glass. Pretty easy job really. The mirror assy is from a 2000 model with the ‘fold in’ function but the glass is the same. If anyone needs a 2000 drivers door mirror assy, without the glass, let me know and it’s a burgundy colour.

Another job done on the car, used drivers door mirror purchased locally. Took the glass out which looks good and replaced the ‘stuck on’ glass. Pretty easy job really. The mirror assy is from a 2000 model with the ‘fold in’ function but the glass is the same. If anyone needs a 2000 drivers door mirror assy, without the glass, let me know and it’s a burgundy colour.

I did it on the Mk3 I had.

It may be one cure for it but for my mk3 it was the ECT Sensor and maybe the sensor combined with an updated ECU. I can't say for sure but I'd plump for the ECT Sensor on it's own and I didn't clean the throttle body. I don't think it affects the mk4, maybe the sensor was updated.

This pic is better for the ECT Sensor

Thanks for everyone's input on this, it's put my mind a ease that there isn't another major issue I have to deal with👍🏻

Front LH side of the engine at the top. looking from the front of the car. The pic below will help.

Mmmmmmmh, I wonder.........................maybe it's my old friend the 'EFI temp sensor' which causes the cutting out issue after a decent run and stopping on the mk3. I'll order one and replace it, I was thinking about replacing it anyway and this has made my mind up. It is a different part number but does the same job.

I did a search and found the thread/s, it matches the symptoms. Started, drove a short distance, switched off then tried to start again. You live and learn and as said before I won't do that again!!!!

Sounds like it could be, it did sound fuel related. I switched it off and then started again to get rid of the 'VSC off' light while I was waiting for the lights to change (they are 4 x way so take quite a while), otherwise it would bug me all the way to work (only 9 miles but still bugs). I won't do it again that's for sure.